CAPRICORN [December 22–January 19] Most art critics long regarded Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) as a second-tier modern painter, writes Don Thompson in The $12 Million Stuffed Shark. But that estimation got upgraded in 2006, when one of Klimt's paintings sold for $135 million. Art history was rewritten with a checkbook, says Thompson. According to my reading of the astrological omens, there's a possibility that your worth will also jump to a higher octave in 2009, Capricorn. But unlike Klimt, who didn't do anything new, you'll have to take action to earn your rise in status. How? 1) Practice forgiveness with more intensity; 2) Be more tolerant of imperfection in yourself and others; and 3) Expand your capacity to give.

AQUARIUS [January 20–February 18] In Poets' Jade Splinters, Lu Ji says: "Avoid the morning flower in full blossom and gather instead evening buds which are not yet open," telling people not to rely on what has already ripened, but to concentrate on what's still in embryonic form. Lu's colleague, Song Zijing, adds a complementary thought: "If you always use a compass to draw a circle and a ruler to draw a square, you will always remain a slave." Both Lu and Song's counsel will work very well for you in the coming year, Aquarius, even if you're not a poet.

PISCES [February 19–March 20] Every few years, a panel of Hindu and Buddhist judges in Nepal chooses a new "living goddess," a young girl who serves, until she reaches puberty, as an incarnation of the deity Taleju. Each candidate, in order to be eligible for the role, must pass this test: She must show no fear as she spends a night alone in a room filled with the bloody heads of ritually killed buffaloes and goats. Consider the possibility of carrying out a more humane equivalent of that ceremony, Pisces. For one night, keep symbols of what you're afraid of in the place where you sleep. To do so would be an excellent way to earn the right to graduate to the next level of your spiritual evolution.